Textile Based Sensors and Actuators

Clothing of future

Clothing of the future will be

linked to the:
Information
Communications infrastructure
by perceiving the environment
and at the same time by providing
the information generated in
personal areas.

These will be assisted through

sensors and actuators
Types of intelligent textiles

Passive smart textiles refer to the ability of the general sensor that can
perceive the environment.

Active smart textiles not only perceives the environment but also react to
internal and external stimulation. They have the sensor function as well as the
actuator function.
Types of intelligent textiles

Very smart textiles are several steps more advanced than the active smart
textiles possessing the ability to adapt to the changing situations. In addition
to the sensor and the actuator, the very smart textiles have a microprocessor in
which an intelligent agent is installed in order that they may provide
appropriate services according to the changing situations.
 Electro-Textile Interface

Electro-textile interface is important in producing smart clothing but it is

very difficult to integrate the electronic products and fabric products
because their manufacturing processes and their physical properties differ
greatly.
 Issues in smart clothing

Still now no other option but to use electrical devices.

Signal through electrical or wire less.

Hazardous nature

Electro-textile plate form

 Electro-textile plate form
For the electronic objects to co-exist with textile in the clothing environment
despite the numerous difficulties mentioned above and to implement the
common functions, they need an electro-textile platform which is defined as
the infrastructure to be shared with electronics and textile.

Micro plate form

Electro-textile plate-form
Macro plate form
Electro-textile plate form
 Electro-textile plate form

Use of narrow bands is the most common method. The

narrow band is similar to the flat cable in electronics
industry, and it is woven with several threads of
conductive fiber placed in parallel. In general, metal
yarn or thread coated with metallic particles (usually
silver-coated thread) is used for conductor. To prevent
possible short-circuits in between wires, threads are
generally coated with insulating material.
 Electro-textile plate form

Sewing and embroidery are also one of the readily

available methods. Conductive threads are often sewed
or embroidered along the circuit paths. This method too
generally uses metal yarn or threads coated with metallic
particles. Metal yarn is stiffer than ordinary thread and
causes difficulties in embroidering for mass production.
 Electro-textile plate form
• Conductive Ink
• Simplest and easiest method.
• It is also easy to make the mass production
system.
• The circuit can be made by silk-screening
or by using a digital textile printer.

Conductive polymers
 Sensors
• The sensor is a device which converts the object that we desire to measure or
external stimulation into physical quantity (electric signals in most cases) that
we can handle.
• Although in most digital systems of our age, physical or chemical quantities
are converted into electric signals, not all the sensors are necessarily
outputting electric signals.
Biomedical signals that
can be measured from
human body
 Sensors
• The sensor is a device which converts the object that we desire to measure or
external stimulation into physical quantity (electric signals in most cases) that
we can handle.
• Although in most digital systems of our age, physical or chemical quantities
are converted into electric signals, not all the sensors are necessarily
outputting electric signals.
Textile Electrodes
 Sensors
• Skin impedence